Fluid-operated regulator.



W. GR UN. FLUID OPERATED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IAE. 4;.1912.

Pa tnted Dec. 17,1912.

WITNESSES: 44244, )M 4;

, To all whom it may concern:

WILLIBALD anon; orrnaivxron'r-oiv-rnn-nam, GERMANY.

r nrrrn-ornaa'rnn REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application'flled larch 4;, 1912. Serial No. 681,558.

Be it known that I, WILLIBALu GBUN, a citizen of the German Empire, and a resif dent of F rankfort-on-the-Main, Germany,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Operated Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to regulators operated by the action of a moving fluid, whether liquid or gaseous. As is well-known, such.

devices comprise an actuating member ,ex-

posed to the influence of the moving fluid,

the automatic movement of' such member being transmitted in any sultable way, to

the auxiliary mechanism 'controlledby said.

member. This auxiliary mechanism (damper or any other device) is therefore regulated or adjusted .in response to the varying action of the moving fluid.

My present invention relates to the ac-' tuatmg member and to the portion of the fluid-conveyin conduit or'passage cooperating with said member, it being entirely immaterial to. this invention what kind of auxiliary mechanism is controlled by said member. a

' The object of my inventionis to provide a very sensitive and eflicient device of the above-indicated character, that is to say, one that will operate promptly and with con-' siderable fo'rce, yet without consuming an excessive amount of energy. More par ticularly, I'secure, by my invention, a graduala'nd very eificient conversion of the energy of the moving fluid, into pressure exerted on the actuating member. This imroved result I secure chiefly by so regulatmg the throttling action exerted by the actuating member on the moving fluid, that the throttling velocit or rather the [cross I sectional area of the t rottling ortion, will be; absolutely or approximate y constant throughoutthe length of the actuating or throttling member, the term length being a plied to that dimension which is in the I direction ofjt-he fluidwurrent. This feature of my invention and others will be more fully set forth in the detailed description "following hereinafter, and the novelty will then be pointed out in ,the appended claims.

Three diiierent embodiments of my in vention are illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanyin drawing, each of said figures being a centre vertical section; Fig.

1 1s a cross section on the line AB of Fig.1.

. wise.

:In Figal and 1, I have shown at 1, 7, 8,

2a portion of the stationary pipe or conduit throu hwhich the gaseous or liquid fluid travel lengthwise, sa in an upward direction. In the particu ar construction shown, the body portions 1 and 2 are cylindrical and of the same diameter. The intermediate portions 7 and 8 are tapered or contracted gradually from said body portions 1, 2 to the junction 5 of the two tapered portionsi Within the tapered portion 7 which is reached first by the traveling fluid, I 10- cate the actuating member 6, here shown as a hollow tapering body open at the wide end which faces the supply body portion 1." 'The otherend of said actuating memberis preferably closed by the spindle or rod 3 to which said member is securedrigidly. The, spindle or-rod 3 extends lengthwise through the conduit and is movable. therein. length- It will be understood that the spindle or rod is connected in any well-known or approved manner, with the valve, damper or other auxiliary mechanism to be controlled by the actuating member 6. Various forms of such mechanism being well known in the art, I have not deemed itnecessary to illustrate the controlled mechanism or the connection from the rod 3 to such mechanism. At the point 4 corresponding to the wide end of said member, the width of the annular space or passage left between the taperin'g conduit portion 7 .and the actuating member 6, is less than the-width of the same annular space or throttling passage at the point 5 corresponding to the narrow end of the actuating member, or in other words,

Patented Dec.17,1912.

less than the radius of the conduit at its 1 narrowest point 5. The proportions employed to secure the best results should be such that the cross sectional area of the c'on-.

duit at its narrowest point 5, will be equal to the cross sectional area of the annular passage at the entrance point 4 and atall-other points, so that the annular passage will be entrance point 4 toward the outlet point 5.

of uniform cross sectional area from end to If the portion 7 isof circular cross section,

as shown, the theoretically best shape of the member 6 can be calculated and plotted readily, by the formula r, -r =r in which actuating member 6 at the same point.

For any posi ion of the actuating mem ber tithe cross sectional area of the passage between it and the conduit portion 7 is practically constant within its entire length.

10 Therefore. the velocity of the flow through said passage'is constant and the pressure head in said passage is constant, and the difference between the pressure head in said passage and the total pressure in a forward dlrectlon due to both pressure head and velocity-in the conduit portion 1, which difi'erence constitutes the effective head tending to move the actuating member, is constant. This effective headgwill be operative on the entire inner or lower surface of the acceleratmg member so that the action, push or pull,'exerted by said member on its rod or s indle 3 will be very quick and powerful.

s the fluidpasses from the throat 5 into the flaring conduit portion 8, the velocity diminishes graduall with a corresponding increase of pressure, until at the entrance point 10 of the body portion 2 the'pressure p is almost equal to the original pressure p; here is comparatively little loss of energy, owing to the fact that an ample passage, deviating but slightly from a straight line, isafi'orded to the fluid. It will be noted that the throttling or actuating memer 6 begins at a point where the full cross section of the'conduit is available, and extends within the tapering portion 7, that is to say, the flaringportion 8 in wh'ichihe fluid gradually resumes its original pressure and velocity, is not obstructed by any portion of the actuating member'G. The fluid being unimpeded in the flaring conduit portion 8, the loss of energy isTrcduccd to a minimum.

In Fig. 2, the fluid enters 'at l and passes out at 2. The actuating member 6 in this case consists ofa plate or disk having its outer edge curved or bent to form an annular passage 11 in conjunction with the stationary ring portion 12 which in the con-.

struction shown forms part of the partition 12 separating the inlet compziirtmcnt 1 from the outlet compartment 2% The proportions are preferably such that in every position of the ac u-nt -ng member 6 the cross sectional area of the annular passage 11 remains the same to the very upper odgo oi the disk 6, so that the efficiency of the device is the same for every position. since evidently the rate of flow through the passage 11 will be constant as long as the area of said passage is unchanged. After traveling through the throttling passage 11, the fluid is allowed to reduce its velocity and increase its pressure, by flowing through the gradually expa'nding passage 13 formed between the stationary reversely flaring surfaces 14 and 15. The actuating member 6 is mounted on a transverse sliding rod 3, under the influence of a spring 16, said rod being conncctcd in any suitable manner with the actuated mechanism. For instance, as shown, a-valve 17 mounted on the rod 3 may control the diversion of a greater or smaller portion of fluid from the inlet compartment 1 of the main conduit, to a branch outlet 18.

The operation of the device shown in Fig. 2 is substantially the same as in the case described with reference to Fig. l. The fluid travels through the passage 11 with a velocity corresponding to the reduction which this passage eflects from the full cross sectional area of the conduit, and the actuating member 6 is moved against the tension of the spring 16, thus adjusting the valve 17 or other controlled member. fluid passes beyond the bent edge of the acchannel 13 so that its velocity is reduced and its pressure increased, until at the outlet of compartment 2 the pressure and velocity are nearly the same as at'the inlet of the compartment 1. The increased velocity obtaining in the reduced passage 11 is thus almost entirely converted into pressure. Furthermorc. with my invention the actuating member (such as (i or 6) may be readily made of a large diameter, so that the power available for moving the actuated device (such as the valve 17) becomes correspondingly great. I am enabled by this invention to exert on the actuating member a force considerably greater than what corresponds to the difference pp between the inlet pressure and the outlet pressure. If for instance this difference amounts to only 1} atmosphere, I can, with the aid of my in vention, subject the actuating member to a pressure diflcrcnce amounting to as much as 1 atmosphere. This gives a power available for the adjustment or regulation of the valve 17 ohother controlled member. much greater than with the constructions em lhc fluid into pressure. is due solely to the ug from the conversion of the velocity of- As soon as the losses caused bv the friction of the air or other fluid during this convrrsion.

Since prcssuio does not begin to increase in the flaring channel (8 in Fig. l and 13 in Fig. 9) until the fluid has passed beyond the actuating nnimlwr. I avoid any back pressure on said actuating member. The particular construction shown in Fig. 2 also I has the further advantage that the'tluid (say, air) flowing through the passage 11,

13 will. by an injector action. withdraw I through the narrow opening 19, some of the air or other fluid contained within the cham ber 20. The pressure on this side of .the actuating member 6* will thus be further re-x duced, thus increasing the power exerted on the rod 3 The difference between the pressures on. the two sides of the actuating member may be regulated by an appropriateconnectioii of the chamber 20 with the inlet compartment 1. I

In "order to reduce the resistance in the throttled portion of the conduit, and to minimize the losses due to friction, I may provide auxiliary valves controlling by-pass channels and arranged to open only when a predetermined difl'erence of pressures is attained. Thus in Fig. 2 the valves 21 under the tension of springs 27 control by-pass openings 22 disposed around the throttled portion ofthe conduit. The valve may be in the form of an ordinary puppet valve having a spindle 29 sliding in a spider frame 28, the spring 27 being disposed between the top of said frame and said valve 21.

The operation of these auxiliary valves is as follows: Assuming that the initial pressure 10 is 1 atmosphere (above atmospheric pressure), the pressure at the narrow passage 11 (corresponding to the increased speed 0) will under normal conditions be about .8 atmospheres (above atmospheric pressure) and the pressure p in the chamber 20 will be but slightly less than p, say .98 atmospheres (above atmospheric pressure) we would thus have pp =.02 atmospheres. Let us assume that the amount of air passing through the conduit per unit of time is doubled, the velocity will be doubled, and the difference of pressures quadrupled.

In other words, the ifiitial pressure p still being 1 atmosphere, the pressure at the narrow passage 11 would become .2 atmospheres, and the pressure p in the chamber 20, equal to .92 atmospheres. The pressure diflerence p'-p would thus become .08 at mospheres, that is, almost 1/10 of an atmosphere, if the valves 21 were omitted. In order to avoid such a large difference of pressures, the springs 27 acting on the valves 21 are of such power as to allow the valves to open at a-much lower pressure, say when the pressure difference attains .03 atmosheres. Thus the desiredpower will always be exerted on the actuating member, yet in the case of an increase in the amount of fluid assing through the conduit, the diiference lietween the pressures on opposite faces of the actuating member will not exceed'the 'desired limit, since the by-pass or by-passes 22 will be opened at the proper time to prevent an increase of the pressure difference at graduallwtontracted central portion or nozzle 23 provided on the actuating-member 6 formed as a disk or plate the Outer edge of which is secured to a diaphragm 24. This diaphragm is held between the sections of the casing 25, the upper section having a flaring portion 26 corresponding in function to the conduit portion 8 of Fig. 1, or to the portions 14, 15 of Fig. 2. By arranging'the throttling passage centrally, I minimize losses due to friction, and the construction shown in Fig. 3 is therefore particularly adapted for use in cases where the amount of fluid passing through the conduit is relatively small. The actuating member may be given'a very large diameter, thus securing a powerful action on the rod 3, without compelling the fluid to pass through a narrow opening or slit which would cause considerable loss by friction. In orther respects, the operation and advantages of the construction shown in- Fig. 3, are substantially the same as set forth above with reference -to Figs. 1 and 2, so that repetition will be unnecessary.

It will be obvious thatvarious modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my inventionas set forth in the appended claims. Thus a by-pass controlled by automatic valves may be employed not only in the manner illustrated by Fig. 2, but with other forms of my invention.

- InFig. 3 the contracted portion 23 of the actuating member is adapted to become seat ed tightly on a corresponding portion of the section 26. The chamber 20 is subjected to injector action through the slit 19, in the Fig. 2.

I claim:

1. In a fluid-operated regulator, a conduit through which the operating fluid is adapted .same manner as explained with reference to to pass, and a movable actuating member located within the conduit and throttling its passage-way, said passage-way of the conduit being provided with a gradually flaring portion on the delivery side of the actuating member, the latter terminating short of said flaring portion of the passage-way. 2. Ina fluid-operated regulator, a conduit through which said fluid is adapted to pass, and an actuating member located within the conduit and throttling the same, the cross section of the throttled stream being practically constant along said member, and the passage-way of the conduit having a gradually flaring portion on the delivery side of the actuating member. a

. 3. In a fluid-operated regulator, a conduit through which said fluid is adapted to pass, an actuating member located within the conduit and throttling the same, thecross section of the throttled stream being practically, constant along said member, anda chamber located on the delivery side of the &

' cally constant along said enablinga por i n of the fluid to travel th gh t e c nduit Without. coming in conta t with the aetuatin automatic valve, controling said by-pass.

' In. a flu d-operated regulator, a conduit throu h hich the fluid. is adapted to pass, an ac uating member located within the conduit and throttling the same; and a chamber located on the delivery side of the actuatmember, a lay-passmember, and an ing member and forming therewith a narrow opening or slit communicating with the throttled portion of the conduit so as to Withdraw fluid from said chamber through said slit by an injector action.

i 6. In a fluid-operated regulator, a conduit through .which the fluid is adapted to pass, an actuating member located within the conduit and throttling the same, a by-pass enabling a portion of the fluid to travel through the conduit without coming in contact with the actuating member, and an automatic valve controlling said bypass.

In testimony whereof I have signedthis specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

' WILLIBALD GRUN.

Witnesses: 3

JEAN GRUND,

CARL GRUND. 

